Wagon end-gate



(No Model.)

A. F. BBHRMAN.

' WAGON END GATE. No. 431,318. Patented July 1,1890.

Will k! x NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST F. BEHRMAN, OF BUENA VISTA, COLORADO.

wAeoN END-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,318, dated. July 1, 1890.

Application filed May '7, 1889. $erial No. 309,858. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, AUGUST F. BEI-IRMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buena Vista, in the county of Ohaffee and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful End-Gate, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in end-gates; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing is shown a perspective view of an end-gate provided with my improvements.

The wagon-body A is of the usual or any preferred construction, and the gate B is hinged thereto in the usual manner, as clearly shown. On the rear side of the gate, near the upper edge of the same, I secure a base-plate O, having the journal-boxes D on its side, as shown, and in these journal-boxes I mount a rock-shaft E, having its end sharpened and bent forward past the side edge of the gate and provided with a shoulder F, thereby forming a latch. Atan intermediate point of its length this rock-shaft is provided with an operating-lever or crank-arm G, which is extended slightly above the rock-shaft, thereby providing the presser arm or point II, which bears against a spring I, secured on the baseplate 0, and is projected outward by the said spring.

On the side of the wagon-body I secure the flat T-iron J, having its rear end sharpened and provided with a hook or shoulder K, which is adapted to be engaged by the latch F at the end of the rock-shaft to secure the gate in its closed position. The shank or body of the T-iron is secured to the side of the wagon-body, whereby said side is made flat and has no outwardly-projecting attachments to interfere with side bars, if the same be used.

The construction and arrangement of the several parts of my device being thus made known, the operation and advantages of the same will be readily understood. The spring I, acting on the presser-arm I:I, norm ally projects the said arm outward, so as to hold the rockshaft in such a position that the latch F will engage the hook II. The gate will thus be securely held in its closed position, and when it is desired to open the gate the operatinglever G is raised, thereby rotating the rockshaft so as to disengage the latch F from the hook K, and allow the gate to be lowered. It will be observed that it is necessary to operate the rock-shaft by hand only when it is desired to open the gate, as, when the gate is raised, the spring automatically operates the said shaft to throw thelatch into engagement with the hook. I

My device is composed of very few parts and is not liable to get out of order. The rock-shafts are mounted on detachable plates, one being arranged at each end of the gate. The arrangement of the spring maybe varied at will, and instead of a leaf-spring a coiled spring may be used, if so desired. By providing the base-plate O a better bearing is furnished for the rock-shaft than if the journal-boxes were secureddirectly to the end gate, and at the same time the wooden gate is re-enforced and protected, especially at its corners, where the most wear occurs. Moreover, the plates C may be attached to endgates of various'lengths, thus'making this device an article of manufacture, or they may be detached from the gate by removing the screws, and the hooks K will then serve as parts of an ordinary end-gate catch, as they extend past the ends of the gate, as above described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination, with the wagon-body, the fiat iron secured to the side thereof and having a pointed hook at its end projecting in rear of said body, and the end-gate hinged to the body and passing between said hooks, of the base-plates detachabl y secured tothe upper corners of said gate, an independent rockshatt mounted in journals upon each baseplate and having its outer end bent forward and provided with a pointed hook standing in the same vertical plane as said fiat iron, a handle mounted rigidly upon the shaft and having one end extending above the same, and a spring on the base-plate pressing oi1twardly against said extension of the handle, the whole operating as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST F. BEHRMAN.

Witnesses:

T. R. GILL, H. H. MILLEN. 

